Our Story
by Cara Lea
Summary: Heronpaw was a normal RiverClan apprentice, or so he thought. But a long ago deed brings a curse upon his Clan that, if the tides are right, maybe Heronpaw can save.
1. Allegiances

**Allegiances:**

**RiverClan:**

Leader: Reedstar- brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes and long whiskers.

Deputy: Badgertail- black and gray tom with blue eyes.

Medicine cat: Orangeleaf- orange and brown to with amber eyes.

**Warriors**:

Sandpelt- golden she-cat with amber eyes.

Longwhisker- black tom with long whiskers and amber eyes.  
_Apprentice- Petalpaw_

Mallowtail- brown she-cat with amber eyes.

Applefur- golden brown she-cat with long whiskers and golden eyes.

Mintpool- white she-cat with green eyes.

Owlbeak- black tom with amber eyes.  
_Apprentice- Birchpaw_

Nightfall- large black tom with silvery grey eyes with gold flecks.  
_Apprentice- Slypaw_

Splashcloud- orange tom with sly gray eyes.

Rippleclaw- muscular brown tom with black paws, tail, and ear tips.

Tanglefur- black and gray silver eyed she-cat.

Fightclaw- brown tabby tom with green eyes.

**Apprentices:**

Petalpaw- tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes.

Birchpaw- brown tom with amber eyes.

Slypaw- silver tom with amber eyes.

**Queens**:

Icebreath- white she-cat with ice blue eyes. Mother to Badgertail's kits: _Heronkit, Snowkit, Otterkit, Kestrelkit, Sablekit, Ivykit_

Lionfish- golden tabby she-cat with blue eyes. Mother of Fightclaw's kits: _Robinkit, Falconkit_

Lichenheart- long-furred white she-cat with gray patches and blue eyes. Mother of Longwhisker's kits: _none yet_

**Kits:**

Heronkit- gray and black tom with green/blue eyes.

Ivykit- cream and white she-cat with green eyes.

Otterkit- brown tom with blue eyes.

Sablekit- creamy white she-cat with brown eyes.

Snowkit- white she-cat with dark blue eyes.

Kestrelkit- brown she-cat with lighter flecks and grey eyes.

Robinkit- auburn she-cat with black patches.

Falconkit- golden and black striped tabby tom with yellow eyes.

**Elders:**

Seabreeze- white tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes. Once the Medicine Cat.

**SkyClan**:

Leader: Brackenstar- broad-shouldered golden tabby tom with green eyes.

Deputy: Hollystripe- black tom with white patches.

Medicine cat: Floralwhisker- small black she-cat with amber eyes.

**Warriors:**

Creekripple- brown tabby tom with green eyes.  
_Apprentice- Tanglepaw_

Dogtooth- dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

Dapplepetal- beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat with glowing amber eyes.

Pebbleclaw- gray tom with gray eyes.

Beetletail- brown tom with amber eyes.  
_Apprentice- Aloepaw_

Firestone- orange red tabby tom with green eyes.

Daisysong- long-furred golden she-cat with green eyes.  
_Apprentice- Hushpaw_

Sunblaze- golden tom with green eyes.  
_Apprentice- Mosspaw_

Stonetooth- dark gray mottled tom with amber eyes.

Goldenfeather- large, dark golden brown tom with amber eyes.

Fernlight- small orange tabby she-cat with gray paws and green eyes.

**Apprentices:**

Mosspaw- gray and white she-cat with dark blue eyes.

Aloepaw- gray and black she-cat with green/blue eyes.

Hushpaw- dark brown she-cat with brown eyes.

Tanglepaw- brown tom with amber eyes.

**Queens:**

Frostheart- dark gray she-cat with ice blue eyes. Mother of Beetletail's kits: _Streamkit, Mistykit, Willowkit_

Duskpool- dark gray/blue she-cat with amber eyes. Mother of Stonetooth's kits: _Sootkit, Bearkit_

**ThunderClan**:

Leader: Stormstar- dark gray she-cat with amber eyes.

Deputy: Nightdapple- black she-cat with amber eyes.

Medicine cat: Crowtail- black tom with gray eyes.

**ShadowClan:**

Leader: Toadstar- small mottled gray tom with gray eyes.

Deputy: Sparrowfeather- brown tom with amber eyes.

Medicine Cat: Sandcloud- dusky gray she-cat with amber eyes.

**WindClan:**

Leader: Russetstar- orange she-cat with long tail and green eyes.

Deputy: Ravenfang- black tom with white patch on chest.

Medicine cat: Skyleaf- gray she-cat with amber eyes.  
_Apprentice- Dawnriver- long-furred gray she-cat with golden eyes._


	2. Prologue

The waning moon shone down into the clearing, almost bright as day. Its incandescence seemed to change the forest, turning the usually bright green fronds silver wherever the light hit. In the shadows, the darkness was almost consuming. Life was stilled by the holy light given off by the heavens above. Nothing moved, there were no sounds give the crickets calling to each other.

Suddenly, a screech tore through the night. Loud and heated. It was a battle cry. In a distant ravine, paws thrummed against the ground as cat fought against cat.

Away from the fight, however, an orange cat halted from where he had been creeping through the reeds. He flattened himself to the ground, ears pricked in alarm. After only a moment to discern that the fight was nowhere near him, he tilted his head back and stared up at the stars.

"StarClan?" he pleaded to his distant ancestors. "Am I doing the right thing?"

As if to answer his question, a cold breeze ruffled the reeds around him. He shivered. Leaf-bare was well on its way. Was this all part of a bad omen? the orange tom wondered. Another screech split the air, this time away from the battling cats far away. This one was closer, and the cat was obviously in pain.

The orange tom's medicine cat instincts screamed for him to run back and help the hurting she-cat, but he forced himself to sit still. He could not help the cat. She was in the paws of StarClan now. Instead, he glanced around once again to make sure he was safe before rising to his feet. An orange warrior was bounding through the reeds toward him, every hair on his pelt raised in alarm.

"Do you hear that?" the newcomer asked. "Sounds like ShadowClan decided to visit ThunderClan after all, eh Orangeleaf?"

Orangeleaf shrugged, looking down at the forest floor and avoiding his brother's eyes. Sharp as ever, the gray eyed warrior recognized his brother's nervousness. "Do you think it is a sign?"

He blinked, wondering how to answer. "I don't think StarClan approves of what we are doing," he said at last. "This isn't right."

The warrior's orange ears drew back in frustration, his narrowed eyes like hot lasers into the medicine cat's fur. "We can't just leave her," the warrior spat. "And you agreed to this as much as the rest of us."

"I know," Orangeleaf replied, still avoiding his brother's eyes. "It's just…I think we could have thought this out more."

The orange warrior lifted his head and stared in the direction Orangeleaf was coming from as another screech split the night. "Sounds bad," he said, softer now. "We should go back."

"There is no going back, Splashcloud," Orangeleaf said, shaking his head. "She must face her troubles on her own."

Splashcloud stared at his brother with shocked eyes. "I know you don't like it," he meowed. "But that's no reason to just leave her."

Orangeleaf was adamant. "We must keep going." He shifted his paws a little. "Their lives depend on it."

Splashcloud nodded, stepping back to allow his brother to take the lead as they continued through their territory to a sheltered hollow where a young white queen lay drowsing in the moonlight. She was dazzling, with her white pelt glowing in the light of their ancestors. As Orangeleaf padded into the hollow, she lifted her broad head and glared at him. His herbs had left her confused, but even so, she seemed to recognize him, for she didn't argue when he bent his head and gave each of her kits a sniff.

"So that's it, Icebreath," he said quietly. "Six healthy kits."

Icebreath lowered her head to her paws, closing her eyes again. He couldn't tell if she was asleep or not.

"Six kits," Splashcloud repeated in wonder. "How are we going to carry them all back to camp?"

Orangeleaf reached out a paw to rouse the sleeping queen. "We'll have to find a way. They can't be out here long."

Icebreath blinked at him and stared. The medicine cat sighed. They were going to have problems getting back to camp. _I'm sorry, StarClan!_ he wailed internally. _I should never have gone against your word! Please don't take it out on these kits…_

As if in answer to his prayer, he heard pawsteps pounding into the reedbed toward them. "Icebreath!" called a deep voice. "What's wrong with her? What's-?"

The tom froze, his eyes staring down at Icebreath curled up with her six kits. His blue eyes softened as he took in each and every shape. This was Badgertail, the Clan deputy. Orangeleaf forcibly reminded himself that this cat was also the kits' father. "Oh Icebreath," he breathed. "They're so beautiful."

Filing out of the reeds behind him was his patrol. They must have been out looking for the missing queen. Orangeleaf sent a silent prayer of thanks to his ancestors. However they felt about him now, at least they had mercy enough for the kits.

"We have to get them back to camp," he ordered briskly. "The nights have been getting colder. They won't survive away from the warmth of the nursery."

Badgertail reached down and grasped one of the kits with his teeth, motioning for his patrol to do the same. Each of the warriors bent to pick up a kit, Splashcloud included. Orangeleaf nudged Icebreath to her paws, hoping to help lead her back to camp. She had a small white kit clamped in her jaws. Even less than a day old, this small kit looked so much like her mother that Orangeleaf was momentarily stunned. He had to remind himself to stand steady as Icebreath leaned against him.

"Slowly now," he said, but he set off a quicker pace. Long since had the painful wails ceased from behind them. They could not stay here, it was not safe.

Far away, in a dark ravine, the battle raged on.


	3. Chapter 1

Heronkit bounded out of the nursery, relishing the sunlight on his dapple gray and black fur. He was the luckiest kit in the world! He had the greatest Clan in the forest to raise him, and he would have the greatest honor to repay them back by becoming a warrior of his Clan. He was the Clan deputy's son, and would soon be an apprentice! _Just a few more moons, and then I'll be big enough_, he thought with relish. He lifted his head and tried to make his muscles ripple like the warriors' did whenever they carried in heavy prey, or showed him battle moves.

_I'm gonna be the biggest, the smartest, the bravest cat this Clan has ever seen!_

"Heronkit," snapped his mother's voice. He flinched at the shrill sound. "Get back here."

"But Icebreath, I want to play!"

The white queen's ice blue eyes blazed at him from the nursery entrance. "I don't care if you want to fly to the Moonstone and back, and StarClan grants you the wings to do it! You're not done washing!"

Heronkit pouted. "Who cares?"

"I care," Icebreath answered. "I went through so much trouble to bring you into this world. I at least want you to look presentable." Her voice lightened. "If you ever want to represent your Clan as a warrior, you'll want to look good, won't you?"

He sighed, but trekked back to the nursery, giving the camp one last forlorn look before his mother scooped him back up and pulled him in.

"Look at your paws!" the white queen snapped, her voice reverting back to its normal waspish self as she dropped him in her nest. "Now the apprentices will have to change the bedding all over again."

Lionfish, a golden queen with two older kits raised her head from her nest. "Relax, Icebreath," she purred warmly. "The apprentice's will be changing the bedding again anyway."

"Yeah," Snowkit, one of Heronkit's many littermates spoke up. Although she was small, Snowkit was probably the bravest of the six littermates. "So we shouldn't have to worry about making a mess!"

Icebreath threw a glare at Lionfish before answering. "Well then when you're apprentices, I'll make sure to tell Lichenheart's kits they're free to make as much of a mess as they want, so that you can clean it."

Lichenheart, a beautiful white and gray she-cat, raised her head and nodded, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "That's right. We'll make sure there's a good mess for you to clean up every night."

"And it'll be in the snow," Lionfish added. Heronkit narrowed his eyes.

"No it won't," he answered carefully. "It's snowing now. We won't be apprentices for a while yet." As he spoke the words, a dejected feeling came over him. Why couldn't they be apprentices _now_?

"Not soon enough," Icebreath muttered, lying down in her nest. "Honestly, if you all grow any bigger, we'll have to extend the nursery!"

Lionfish sat up, licking her forepaws and indicating where Robinkit and Falconkit were sleeping. "Speaking of apprentices, Reedstar's decided to make them apprentices."

Heronkit pricked his ears, sitting up with excitement. Beside him, his brother Otterkit also jumped to his paws. "When?"

Lionfish shrugged. "She said she would when the snow stopped." The gentle queen peered through the reeds to the sky. "Which might be a while."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ivykit, another of Heronkit's littermates, demanded. She sounded hurt.

"I didn't want to get them too excited," Lionfish admitted. "It's a hard leaf-bare this year. The river is frozen, and prey is hidden in their holes. And with so many kits, it's getting harder to keep everyone fed." She looked away awkwardly, and Heronkit looked up to see Icebreath shifting on her paws, her eyes gleaming with frustration.

Heronkit was one of a litter of six. Icebreath had told them it was a sign of a strong Clan to have as many kits. He wanted to believe it, but he simply didn't know if he could. When he stretched his memory back to his earliest days, he remembered Icebreath being very weak after his birth. She was young and strong, but even nowadays she looked tired from caring for so many kits. On the other hand, he could see that in the future, when he and his littermates were made warriors, RiverClan would be very strong.

Still, six kits to a litter was an unusual number. He had heard tales of a queen in SkyClan who had had so many kits to many litters. He had never met her, but he had heard a lot about her. Her name was Dapplepetal, and so far, she had birthed 4 litters of kits, each litter being over 4 kits strong.

Sometimes, Heronkit wondered why StarClan would have sent RiverClan such a large number of kits. Everybody said it was a gift to RiverClan to have such a large litter, but he wondered if there was something more to it. Every now and then, he liked to imagine that StarClan had sent him and his littermates to fight some important battle, or something important like that. He even thought he caught the Medicine cat Orangeleaf staring at him funny. But the Medicine cat was weird. He went to the Moonstone with cats from other Clans and shared words with StarClan.

The nursery was too crowded. Heronkit wished he could go out to play in the snow, but he'd already tried that and Icebreath hadn't been too happy. By now, the snow was falling in thick clumps over the camp. He narrowed his eyes, looking out into the camp and trying to make out specific shapes.

There was Badgertail, his father and the Clan deputy. It looked like Badgertail was sitting beside Reedstar, the Clan leader, but you couldn't tell through the snow. There was a small black shape making his way across the camp, beside him a brown tom. Heronkit supposed this was Owlbeak and his apprentice Birchpaw. Where were the other apprentices? He glanced around but he couldn't see any sign of Petalpaw or Slypaw. Maybe they were out training?

Across the camp was the medicine den. He guessed that somewhere in the medicine den was Orangeleaf, but the medicine cat didn't make any sort of appearance. Heronkit wrinkled his nose and tried to make out the elders' den from across the camp. There was only one elder in the Clan: Seabreeze, who had once been the medicine cat. When she had retired, she had gone to live alone in the elders' den. Heronkit was almost jealous of her when Greenleaf came and brought warmth with it. Now, he was almost happy with having so many siblings. It meant he wouldn't go cold at night.

He glanced into the sky. Tonight was supposed to be the Gathering. He wondered if Icebreath would be going. Maybe she would tell him about it when they got back. Every full moon, when the sun set and the moon shone down, the five forest Clans would gather at Fourtrees to share tongues and talk about the previous moon. This Gathering would mark Heronkit's third moon of life, a feat which he was not only proud of, but he had been waiting for. Three moons meant he was halfway to becoming an apprentice.

It also marked Robinkit and Falconkit's sixth moon, something to be jealous of. They were officially old enough to be apprentices.

As though his thoughts had commanded it, Reedstar's voice called out over the Clan, "RiverClan, gather in the clearing for a Clan meeting!"

Icebreath sighed, rising to her feet. "Now you listen here," she said, glaring at each of her kits in turn. "I'm going out to that Clan meeting, and you are all six going to wait here. You will _not_ act like a group of ruffians. You will _not_ follow me out to the meeting. You will _not_ disobey. Do you understand me?"

Six heads nodded simultaneously while six voices chorused, "Yes ma'am."

"You'd better," she growled under her breath, her stern gaze falling away from them as she padded out into the clearing. For the first time, Heronkit reflected, they were alone. Lichenheart had gone to join the clearing, Lionfish had gone, and she had taken Robinkit and Falconkit with her.

"No fair," Snowkit spat. Heronkit padded past her to lie in the nest, wanting only to ignore his sister's ravings. Otterkit, however, was intrigued.

"What's not fair?"

The white she-cat bared her teeth. "Robinkit and Falconkit get to go to the meeting, but we don't!"

"You heard what Lionfish said," Sablekit said quietly. "They're going to be made apprentices!"

"Who cares?" Kestrelkit said. She was by far the quietest of the six kits, but when she did speak, it was always to say something odd like this. "I mean honestly, just cause they get to go doesn't mean they're special."

"Yeah," Sablekit agreed. The shy creamy she-cat blinked at her siblings. "Being an apprentice means that they'll have to go out and train in this blizzard, and they'll have to clean our bedding."

"We should make it extra dirty for them," Snowkit hissed. Heronkit raised his head drowsily.

"Don't say that! Then when we become apprentices, and Lichenheart's kits are born, they'll make _us_ clean up the nests!"

Ivykit snorted. Sometimes, she could be as hot-headed as Snowkit, or even their mother. "I'd like to see them try."

"Well _I_ don't," he responded, curling back into his warm ball. Ivykit and Snowkit huddled together, muttering darkly and casting glances at him. Otterkit and Sablekit were talking together about being apprentices, their eyes light. Kestrelkit sat with them, nodding every now in then in response to something they'd said. Despite her cool attitude toward apprenticeship, Heronkit was convinced that she too wanted to be an apprentice.

It was a long time before Icebreath rejoined them in the nursery. By the time she returned, Heronkit was snoozing. But when she entered, the scent of snow on her fur woke him. He pricked his ears, hoping that she told them about the meeting.

"Where are Robinkit and Falconkit?" Snowkit asked as their mother entered. It was Lichenheart who answered as she curled into her own nest.

"Robinpaw and Falconpaw, now. They'll be moving into the apprentice's den tonight."

"Really?" Sablekit asked, sitting taller. "What about Lionfish? She'll be lonely without them!"

"Mouse-brain!" Snowkit cuffed her over the head. "Lionfish will be moving back to the warriors den. Right?"

"That's right," Icebreath yawned.

"Who are their mentors?" Heronkit asked, looking eagerly up at his mother. He really wanted Badgertail to be his mentor, and was hoping that he hadn't gotten either of the new apprentices.

"Mintpool and Rippleclaw."

He released his breath in relief. His father was still available to mentor. That was a good thing. It meant that some day, maybe he could train them. Heronkit would never say it out loud, but he wanted to his father to himself. It was hard having five littermates to compete with. Some days, he felt like Badgertail didn't really notice him at all.

Icebreath was different, he reflected while gazing up at his mother. She cared for each of her kits with the same sharp tongue as any other, but he could always see her affection for them shining in her eyes. No matter how harsh her voice sounded, she genuinely cared for each and every one of them.

"Will there be a Gathering tonight?" Snowkit asked, pawing their mother's stomach with sharp kit-claws.

Icebreath nodded. "Reedstar is going to try and take a small patrol with her. Warriors only, though I doubt even they could make it to Fourtrees in this weather."

Heronkit tilted his head. "Do you think the other Clans will be there?"

"Maybe," Icebreath answered. "WindClan will probably be there, because there territory is high in the moore. ThunderClan might be there, because their territory is also a little higher. I imagine Toadstar wouldn't want to miss the Gathering, because he's very loyal to the warrior code, but he wouldn't want to risk his warriors. Their territory is lower than the others, in the marshlands, so getting there might be difficult. I can't imagine that SkyClan will be there. They have a StarClan given talent in SkyClan, but Brackenstar's no idiot, and they have a longer way to travel than any other Clan."

Heronkit blinked, trying to imagine it all. He had never met a cat from any of the other Clans, though he had heard enough stories that he could almost imagine them. ShadowClan lived in the marshland under the pine forest, so he always thought of them in darkness, with dark fur and amber eyes. Then there was ThunderClan, across the river. They were all brown with green eyes to him. Then SkyClan, with huge back-ends and grey coats, great for jumping into trees. Lastly was WindClan, with huge feet and sleek tabby fur. In his opinion, none of the other Clans were as handsome as RiverClan.

His mother reached down and gave each of her kits a good sniff before licking them all. She began to purr, and the rhythmic lapping plus her gentle purr lulled him, and before he knew what was happening, he was plunging into milky sleep.


	4. Chapter 2

The sun was high in the sky by the time Heronkit first woke. He blinked, the harsh light drawing him from his cozy dreams. Sitting up, he peered out with his strange blue/green eyes into the barren clearing. The camp was empty, although there were a lot of pawprints going in every direction. He whirled to look around, and found the reason for his late night comforts. Now that they had extra open nests, his family seemed to have spilt out over their own nests and were sprawled out into the next nest over- the one that had belonged to Lionfish and her kits.

Over in her nest in the corner, Lichenheart was snoozing with her tail over her nose. Icebreath was curled up with her paws splayed out in front of her. Lying next to her, in the exact same position was Snowkit. She was an exact copy of their mother, to the degree where she could have been their mother in miniature. He blinked, trying to take that in. It was hard to imagine that someday, Snowkit would be as big as Icebreath, and then he wouldn't be able to tell them apart at all.

Well, maybe by scent, when he was good enough.

He looked carefully at his other siblings. There was Otterkit, his only brother. Otterkit had tawny brown fur with darker stripes. On his other side was Sablekit curled touching noses with Kestrelkit. Creamy white she-cat against brown and gray. On the other side of them, where had been sleeping, Ivykit was sitting up and glaring at him. His whiskers twitched, realizing he had left her in the cold.

She ruffled her fur at him, then chose to curl up next to Otterkit instead. Heronkit chuckled. Ivykit could be pretty hot-headed from time to time, but he doubted that she would hold an actual grudge. He couldn't find himself to worry about it. Instead, there was a camp that needed playing in.

The nursery reeds scratched uncomfortably against his pelt as he tugged himself out of the tightly woven nursery. The fortress where he had spent his whole life was well-built, a sturdy structure made to be difficult to attack and standing in the harshest of weather. Unfortunately, that made getting in and out quite a chore. To make matters more difficult, the nursery was right on the river, so you would always have to get your paws wet to get in or out. He glanced down at his feet and saw that under a fine layer of snow, the river had frozen solid.

He was thankful. It was too cold to be getting his paws wet. With careful aim, he jumped onto the far bank and raced into the clearing. He had misjudged, however, and began slipping and sliding across the camp. It was too fast, he realized. There was no place for him to get a good pawhold on the ground. _StarClan have mercy!_

StarClan must have been feeling kind that day, as he slowed to a stop just outside the medicine cats den without incident.

"Watch it," a voice snapped behind him. "You need to be careful."

Heronkit turned to look up into Orangeleaf's amber eyes, glinted by the muted sunlight. He sat up straight, shaking some of the snow off him. "Sorry, Orangeleaf," he muttered. He knew that he hadn't done anything wrong, but Orangeleaf wasn't a cat to argue with.

"So you should be," he snorted before strutting along to where the fresh-kill pile should be, his nose in the air. A deep voice resounded behind Heronkit, making him jump. "Don't worry about Orangeleaf." He tilted his head back to look into Splashcloud's face. Splashcloud was a young warrior, barely made a warrior by the time Heronkit had been born. He was an orange tabby with a white chest and forepaws. His eyes were gray, making him seem almost put out. It was a strange coloring. Nobody, however, could deny Splashcloud's good skill. He had barely a moon ago chased a badger off of RiverClan territory.

"Of course it went straight over the ThunderClan border, in the direction of SkyClan," he had boasted. "But hey, what are Stormstar and Brackenstar's problems are not ours anymore."

Although he young, Splashcloud commanded a lot of respect from his fellow warriors. He was a strong and loyal warrior, not to mention the fact that he was Orangeleaf's brother. A sudden thought occurred to Heronkit. Splashcloud was certainly a fit candidate for Gatherings, and he was more than capable of the journey there. There stood a good chance that Reedstar had chosen him to be part of the accompanying party.

"Hey Splashcloud," he asked quietly. "Did you go to the Gathering last night?" The orange tabby nodded slowly, not taking his creepy gray eyes off of Heronkit's own. "What happened there?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. We never made it to the hollow."

Heronkit gulped. What did that mean for RiverClan? Would StarClan be angry at them for not going? No, he decided. They had made a good effort to be there, but StarClan had kept them from going. How could they be blamed for that?

Right then, a familiar voice cried out, "Hey Splashcloud, perhaps you'd be interested in going out on patrol this morning, instead of standing around gossiping?"

Heronkit whipped around to face his father as he trotted over to join them. Although his tone sounded harsh, the little gray kit could not take him seriously. Badgertail was friendly all the time. It was what made him such a great deputy.

"On my way," Splashcloud responded, adorning their second in command with a small bow. He then rose to his feet and padded over to where Mallowtail, Longwhisker and Petalpaw were waiting. As he approached them, they all rose and thundered together out of camp. Heronkit watched them go with jealousy burning in his heart. How he longed to follow them! But his apprenticeship was still three moons away.

"Don't worry," Badgertail said, as though reading his thoughts. "You're time will come soon enough."

Heronkit's ears drooped. "I wish it were my time now."

Badgertail chuckled. "You're not ready yet. But you will be, when the time is right."

The little kit pricked his hears, indicating where Splashcloud's patrol had disappeared into the reeds. "Where are they going?"

His father shrugged. "Out to hunt. I suppose they'll head towards the river, but I don't think they'll find anything there."

Heronkit sat up a bit. "Why won't they?"

Badgertail narrowed his blue eyes, as though he were thinking. "The river will be frozen. How will they be able to fish? That is also by the ThunderClan border. The woodland critters will all be in their nests, on the ThunderClan side of the border."

His curiosity was too strong for him to suppress, and since Badgertail was answering questions, he thought he might ask another. "So we can't hunt them?"

"That's right."

But that didn't make any sense. If ThunderClan had prey, and RiverClan didn't, why didn't they just share? "Why won't ThunderClan let us hunt on their lands?"

Badgertail's tail lashed, and Heronkit could see he was getting frustrated. "Because it's against the warrior code to hunt on another Clan's land: something you will have to learn very quickly when you become an apprentice."

Heronkit dared to ask, "Okay, but why don't we just ask ThunderClan for more prey? If they have enough-"

"They do _not_ have enough," Badgertail spat. "It's leafbare. No Clan has enough prey to feed their whole Clan. Do you suppose we go and ask Stormstar for prey, giving away our weakness? What do you think ThunderClan would do?" Before Heronkit could answer, his father kept going. "They would invade our lands and steal what little prey we can find for themselves. It's always been the way of ThunderClan to steal from another Clan. Then we'd be without food, and without a home."

Heronkit trembled, taken aback by his father's sudden outburst. For a moment, his father seemed to swell with unspoken rage. Then without warning, he relaxed, the light of anger dying in his eyes and his fur laying flat.

"I'm sorry, Heronkit. I did not mean to yell. But we cannot ask the other Clans for help in these dark days, just as we cannot help them if they needed us to. It is the way of the warrior code. One day, you will learn."

Heronkit didn't have time to respond before his father was padding away, head and tail drooping. He hissed in disbelief. The other Clans might be starving like they were? It was hard to think that they would have anything to worry about. _WindClan_ didn't have a frozen river to worry about. _ShadowClan_ hunted the rats at Carrionplace in leafbare. _ThunderClan_ had all that fat lazy prey asleep just below the surface of the forest. _SkyClan_'s prey lived in trees, high above the snow. It was _RiverClan_ who would suffer the most this leafbare, with the hard snowfall and the frozen river. RiverClan would be the Clan that would need the most land. Why couldn't the other Clans see that?

His blood chilled as he wondered if what Badgertail had said was true. If the other Clans did know about RiverClan's weakness, would they really drive them out?


End file.
